#ruby-spears

[chernobog13]

Early character drawing of Thundarr the Barbarian, Ookla the Mok (wearing gloves because he just washed the dishes), and Princess Ariel by Alex Toth.

[tomoleary]

Jack Kirby Weight Lifter, Zeno-High Priest, Mediterranean Islanders, Goldie Gold Ruby Spears concept art (undated)

[fitsofgloom]

"This mission's going to require us to make a calculated risk, Dyna Girl!"

[docgold13]

Cartoon Heroes Paper Cut-Outs

Dingbat and the Creeps

Appearing as a follow-up segment in the Ruby-Spears produced Heathcliff Show,  Dingbat and the Creeps chronicled the misadventures of a trio of misfit monsters who stayed financially afloat by finding work through their temp agency, Odd Jobs, Inc. 

The group was led by a jack-o-lantern of all trades named NoBody, a vampire dog named Dingbat, who turned into a bat-sized version of himself in order to fly, and by a skeleton called Sparerib, who had the ability to rearrange his bones into the form of almost any useful object, such as a floor lamp, bridge, or jackhammer. More hindrance than help, disaster followed the Creeps wherever they went. It’s little wonder they never got a callback after finishing a job.

The cast was composed of Frank Welker as Dingbat and Don Messick as both NoBody and Sparerib.  Dingbat and The Creeps first appeared in the debut episode of Heathcliff, airing in October of 1980. 

[coupleofdays]

Jack Kirby drawing of TRON!

I recently learned that, apparently two years ago, a number of concept art pieces for planned animated cartoons from the company Ruby-Spears were unearthed and put online. The images were from the 1980s, and includes a concept image for an animated Tron TV series. This in itself is of course fascinating, and yet another cancelled Tron project to add to the pile (or, in this case, a project that wasn't even begun).

However, what really got me excited is that the concept image is drawn by none other than legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby! I had actually previously imagined what Tron might look like in Kirby's distinctive style, not knowing that such an image actually existed.

As a bonus, here's a version of the image colored by the amazing artist (and Kirby superfan) Tom Scioli:

When the picture was originally put up online, it was labelled as "Teens of Tron", which might possibly have been the intended name for the planned cartoon? If so, it's a pretty goofy title.

Still, as a fan of both Tron and Jack Kirby, seeing the two combined was pretty mind-blowing to me. I have a suspicion (though no evidence) that the visuals of the 1982 film might in some small part have been inspired by Kirby's style, since I think there are some possible similarities here and there (Sark's helmet and the look of the MCP are two things that immediately come to mind).

(You can read more about Kirby's work at Ruby-Spears here, and see some of the other concept images here.)

[atomic-chronoscaph]

Mork & Mindy animated TV series (1982)

[pembrokewkorgi]

Commercial Break - Classic Super Mario Commercials Part 4

In the latest episode of Commercial Break, we're back with some more Mario commercials!  Ranging from Mario's adventures in running a cement factory to food that will make you hump a smoke stack.  Check it out here: https://youtu.be/RnmLo8Wx6Mc

[mudwerks]

Thundarr the Barbarian Publicity/Color Model Cel Based on Alex Toth Design (Ruby-Spears, 1980)

This sharp hand-painted cel of the show's main stars Ooka the Mok, Thundarr, and Princess Ariel was based on drawings by the show's designer, comic book/animation legend Alex Toth (1928 - 2006).